Woodinville Pivot

On the main level of the home, the decision to replace the giant, one-sided mass of the fireplace was a game-changer. The modern replacement is a statement piece that not only can be enjoyed from both sides, but allows the two rooms to finally be experienced as one, larger space.

Another move that further opened up the home was to remove the walls enclosing the stair down to the walkout basement. The open stairwell now is a great spot to display art, and with pantry storage relocated into built-ins, there is a niche to capture mail and the odds and ends of life maintenance.

In the basement, two formerly awkward spaces are now refined with a custom built-in element that defines, shapes, and supports the activity of the spaces. This big design move is at once highly functional and brings a modern element to the formerly stylistically-neutral space. Large barn doors can optionally convert the office area into an extra guest room. A faux rustic wine room is now modern and clean, and a rarely-used wet bar is incorporated into a hall bath designed for easy sharing between sister and brother.

Both by opening up the stair to connect the two floors of the home more directly, and by pulling the same style thread through the entire home, the basement now feels very much like an integral part of the whole. The '70s house now full of bright, contemporary details, and, "yes," the homeowners say, it feels just like them.

Update:
This remodel brought the interior of the home to life, but since then, phase two, Woodinville Pivot Site Design brought life to the exterior spaces, too.